Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System
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Statistics from Lichess
739,909 games: White 49.5% / Draw 6.3% / Black 44.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 596,543597K | ||
| 37,63638K | ||
| 26,27626K | ||
| 21,40921K | ||
| 21,28421K | ||
| 11,84112K | ||
| 10,93411K | ||
| 5,9785,978 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.28 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... O-O 6. O-O e5 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Nxe5 Nxe4 9. Nxe4 Qxd1 10. Rxd1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 53% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 96K | |
| 1400–1799 | 325K | |
| 1800–2199 | 406K | |
| 2200 and up | 140K | |
| Masters, over the board | 6,967 |
Master games
- Kramnik, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Svidler, P.
- Yu Yangyi – Carlsen, M.
- Giri, A. – Carlsen, M.
- Radjabov, T. – Carlsen, M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System (ECO B08, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 (5 moves).
In 739,909 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 44.2% and 6.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…O-O, in 81% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Chigorin Line and Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System, Czech Defense.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System
The most played answer, 5…O-O, also scores best for Black: 47.8%, with Black winning 44.6% and White 49.0% of 597K games. Of the main answers, 5…c6 scores lowest: 46.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…O-O.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System has lost ground since 2016: 0.027% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.033% (its peak: 0.038% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.033% | 11,879 |
| 2017 | 0.036% | 19,910 |
| 2018 | 0.038% | 29,454 |
| 2019 | 0.033% | 40,828 |
| 2020 | 0.032% | 92,899 |
| 2021 | 0.027% | 106,152 |
| 2022 | 0.027% | 102,065 |
| 2023 | 0.027% | 103,301 |
| 2024 | 0.027% | 96,935 |
| 2025 | 0.027% | 93,722 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.028% | 30,273 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System (B08)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/pirc-defense-classical-variation-quiet-system